Swiftflight's POV

My heart seemed to rise with urgency and determination as I ducked my head and leaped to my side, getting out of the way of my pursuer. 

I then quickly swerved around to their back side, proceeding to swipe a claw across one of their hind legs. Just as I had hoped, the slash caused the Dark Forest spirit I was fighting to lose their balance, allowing me to leap forward and press them into the ground. 

I looked down at the skinny white tom that was now trapped under my grip. "Given up yet, Snowtuft?" I hissed at the Dark Forest warrior that I had once considered a fellow trainee and mentor. 

Despite Snowtuft's lean and leggy frame, I struggled to hold him in place with his forceful squirming. "Giving up to a cat that left the Dark Forest by choice?" he barked back up at me, his blue eyes blazing with anger. "What a joke!"

I held back a growl and sank my claws deeper into the warrior's shoulders. Unfortunately for me, Snowtuft had not been the only Dark Forest cat to taunt my sudden disappearance from the Place of No Stars in this battle. "I'm laughing so hard," I sighed sarcastically.

"Just think, Swiftflight," Snowtuft went on, continuing to wriggle under my grip. "This fight could have been so much easier had you been on our side, had you decided to keep letting us train you!"

I shook my head slowly, lowering my head so that Snowtuft and I were almost muzzle to muzzle. "Any battle feels easy when you have something to fight for," I muttered, my heart beginning to well up with pride. And there's so much for me to fight for now. I wouldn't have known that if I'd stayed in the Dark Forest.

To my surprise, Snowtuft let out a hoarse purr of amusement at my words. "See, it's talk just like that! Do you hear yourself? Since you've left us, that little heart of yours has gotten the best of you."

I shut my eyes, Snowtuft's words actually striking a nerve with me for a moment. His words were already beginning to echo in my own mind. Since you've left us, that little heart of yours has gotten the best of you.

"Swiftflight, you could have had it all! You could've learned so much...  you could've become so much stronger and tougher!" Snowtuft went on, and I opened my eyes again to meet his vindictive, mischievous gaze. "You were so close, and you threw it all away!"

I finally let the growl that had been rising in my throat escape my lips, and the frustration that had been rising up inside of me was practically boiling at this point - frustration at the Dark Forest cat's words, and the fact that I'd let them get to me for even a single heartbeat. 

With unsheathed claws, I shifted Snowtuft so that I could pin him down - his back on the ground rather than his stomach, causing us to be face to face. "Close to what? Close to completely shutting off my Clanmates? Close to becoming a vile cat with not even an ounce of feeling in his heart?" I snarled in response to Snowtuft's taunting words. "If I've learned anything from my training in the Dark Forest, it's that being tough and strong is not all that matters." 

I then looked away from the white tom for a moment, feeling my heart almost physically grow with warmth as I thought about just how true my own words were. Once I got past worrying about things like valor or strength... that's when I was able to find all of these things that I'm fighting for, I realized. Goldenshine, Snowstorm, Ivypool... all of my Clanmates...

I then almost felt that I would topple over by how much my stomach seemed to flutter. Cherrypaw...

The thought of the ginger tabby she-cat, amidst all of the other cats I cared about so deeply, caused my determination and certainty to surge even higher as I looked back down at Snowtuft. "Which is why, Snowtuft, I'm not going to kill you unless you continue to give me a perfectly good reason to."

I then proceeded to give the Dark Forest tom a warning slash across the muzzle before leaping backwards, releasing Snowtuft from my grip. I watched as he slowly and weakly stood back up.

Once he was on his paws again, I took a step closer to him, seeing the clear glint of fear in his eyes as I gave him a hard, hostile look. "Being tough and strong isn't all that I am, or want to be, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm lacking in either." 

I then lifted a single forepaw, letting my claws slowly slide out right in front of the white tom. I raised a single eyebrow, flashing Snowtuft an inquiring look. "So, what's it going to be?"

I then watched as the Dark Forest warrior simply stared back at me for a few moments, looking completely daunted. His eyes then seemed to flash with indignation before he turned around and proceeded to run off out of my sight.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of triumph as I saw Snowtuft's think white tail disappear back into the battle. It's so easy for Dark Forest cats to give up... I reflected, already having seen countless amounts of the spirits flee since the battle had begun. Because they have absolutely nothing that they're fighting for except their own dignity. If that goes away, they can't think of anything else to do but surrender!

I then shifted my attention towards the camp entrance, my ears pricking and my fur beginning to bristle as its thorns rustled, that sound being followed by many, many pawsteps.

I simply stared back at the bundle of brambles, my fur tingling with anticipation. Who was coming? Even more Dark Forest warriors? Or what if the apprentices are returning with a message? I thought, already hoping and praying to StarClan that my second idea was correct. That would mean that I can be sure that Cherrypaw is safe. And maybe I can even-

My thoughts were cut off when a cat finally burst through the tangle of thorns. But instead of Cherrypaw, or any Dark Forest warrior, it was Lionblaze with Graystripe right on his tail. I had to push down my extreme worry and disappointment, hating the fact that the she-cat's location and condition was still completely unknown to me. 

Then, just a moment after Lionblaze and Graystripe had run into sight, they were followed by many, many more faded pelts.

It was as I had feared. Even more Dark Forest cats! I thought irritably. They might as well be infinite, for StarClan's sake!

I immediately let out a determined, indignant hiss and unsheathed my claws once again, ready to fight this entire new wave of Dark Forest cats. And just as I was about to leap at the first spirit that I saw, I stopped myself, utterly confused as I noticed that neither Lionblaze nor Graystripe looked distressed at these cats' arrival. 

Cinderheart's yowl clearly reflected my own bafflement. "Who are they?" the gray she-cat called out from just behind me.

Lionblaze flashed a reassuring glance in my direction. "It's okay!" he called back in reply. "They're Ancient allies, from before StarClan! They're on our side!"

Lionblaze's words on their own had already stunned me enough, but I was completely blown away as I watched these supposed "Ancient allies" flow into the ThunderClan clearing, leaping at Dark Forest warriors without hesitation. 

But my amazement quickly turned back into apprehension and horror as, just a few moments later, I looked back towards the thorn entrance to see a badger - yes, a badger - making their way into camp just behind the Ancients. Great StarClan, what next? I thought with exasperation. The Dark Forest, and now a badger attack?

I was bracing myself to leap at the large black and white creature just as Blossomfall ran up to stand beside me. "Badger!" she cried out, her blue eyes wide with terror.

Both me and the tortoiseshell she-cat looked over our shoulders as Firestar burst away from the battle. To my surprise, his green eyes seemed to glow with relief at the sight of the badger. "Midnight!" he breathed, just before turning back around to face his opponents. "It's okay! She's with us!"

I twitched my whiskers with intrigue and shock. A badger? On our side? I thought in astonishment. Despite me having heard a bit about this Midnight - the badger that had supposedly helped the sun-drown place journeying cats to find this lake territory - it was still completely amazing to think of any creature other than a cat ever even thinking of helping us. But at this point, I suppose there's no time to question it.

I finally broke my gaze away from Midnight, preparing to leap back into the battle. I've got to make sure that it's still clear which side that I'm on, I joked to myself, my gray-blue eyes already set on the pale tabby she-cat that Dustpelt was currently wrestling with.

But just as I was about to make my pursuit, I paused, surprised as I saw a flash of black brush past me. I looked ahead, my heart nearly skipping a beat as I instantly recognized my father. Breezepelt!

The WindClan tom was making his way deeper into the ThunderClan camp, and appeared to be about to leap straight into the battle.

A chill then ran down my spine. But on whose side? I wondered, asking myself the same question that had been crossing my mind for days now.

Unfortunately, that question was immediately answered for me when, to my dismay, Breezepelt leaped straight at Lionblaze, bowling over the pale tabby tom. No...

I was now completely frozen in place as Breezepelt stood over Lionblaze, ripping his claws along my Clanmate's cheek. "You're not as strong as I expected," I could hear my father muttering, his amber eyes glowing with malice.

"Breezepelt, no!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the silver-and-white tabby pelt of Ivypool brushing past me, racing up to meet the two fighting toms. "Don't do it! Please! Do you really want to destroy the Clans for Brokenstar's sake?"

Breezepelt's Dark Forest mentor...

I continued to watch in complete horror as Breezepelt then pulled back Lionblaze's head, proceeding to smack it hard against the ground. It seemed like my father was able to completely ignore Lionblaze struggling beneath him. "This has nothing to do with Brokenstar," he growled back at Ivypool. "Lionblaze should have never been born. None of them should."

The black WindClan tom then flicked his tail triumphantly towards Hollyleaf's body that was lying just a few fox-lengths away. "She's dead; now it's your turn, Lionblaze."

I then felt my fur beginning to rise up even more, and I had to hold back a gasp as Breezepelt then bend his head down to bite into Lionblaze's neck. I felt so nauseous and dizzy that I was sure that I was going to fall over onto my side. He didn't even have to hesitate.

The ThunderClan warrior continued to wriggle and struggle beneath Breezepelt's grip. "We're kin!" he gasped as he tried to fight for breath.

"Never!" Breezepelt hissed back.

For a moment, I still felt as if I couldn't move a muscle as I watched the scene continue to unfold in front of me. I'd already seen a good amount of my father's vicious, malevolent behavior, yet I still found that I was completely appalled and repulsed.

That could've been me, I realized as I continued to stare off at Breezepelt sinking his teeth into Lionblaze, his own brother. That really could have been me - harming my own kin without a second thought. It was a thought that had occurred to me many times since I'd left the Dark Forest, but now, it had truly never felt more sickening to think about.

But it gave me all the drive I needed to finally snap out of my horrified thoughts and prepare to run over and break up this fight myself; mustering up all of the courage I would need in order to defy my own father. 

And just as I was about to jump forward, claws outstretched, I was nearly intercepted as a pelt almost identical to mine barged past me. I watched, wide-eyed, as Crowfeather pounced into the fight himself, sinking his claws into Breezepelt's shoulders and hauling him off of Lionblaze.

"This has to stop!" the dark gray WindClan tom growled as he pinned his son to the ground. "I will not watch you harm a whisker on that cat!"

Breezepelt wriggled under his father's grip, his amber eyes filled with rage. "I always knew that you hated me!"

"I never hated you!" Crowfeather insisted. "That's just what you were determined to believe. And Nightcloud encouraged you."

"It's not her fault!"

"No," Crowfeather then hissed, breaking his gaze from his son's for just a moment. "I should have done something much earlier. But now it's too late. You chose the Dark Forest."

Crowfeather then backed off of Breezepelt, hauling his son to his paws and flinging him away. "Get out of here!"

I continued to watch as Breezepelt stared back at his father, his eyes wide, for a few moments. He then turned away from him, beginning to run out of the camp clearing.

And although he clearly didn't realize, he was heading directly towards me.

I became as frozen as an icicle all over again as Breezepelt's amber gaze locked with mine, which caused him to abruptly stop in his tracks. Although it had been many moons since the two of us had ever directly interacted, it was clear from his wide, surprised amber eyes that he had instantly recognized me. I even thought that I could see a glint of shame there.

And just like the first time we'd first come face to face with each other, there were several long, uncomfortable moments of silence as we stared back at each other. I had braced myself for him to leap at me as soon as he'd laid his eyes on me. He didn't even hesitate to leap at Lionblaze, his own half-brother. Who's to say that he wouldn't attack his son?

But despite my discomfort and worry, I found myself speaking to my father. "Things don't have to be this way," I blurted out to him, letting my heart rule my actions once again.

Breezepelt blinked back at me, as if he was shocked that his grown son had the ability to speak. "What?"

"It doesn't have to be this way, Breezepelt," I repeated to him, having slightly hesitated to address the black tom by name, not being sure how he'd respond to being called "father".

Breezepelt then let out a hiss and broke his gaze from me. "What are you talking about?" he hissed, despite clearly already understanding what I was trying to tell him.

I forced myself to take a step closer to my father. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," I replied, sharpening my meow. "You don't have to hold these grudges that the Dark Forest has put upon you. You shouldn't have to believe all of these things that they're putting into your head - that Brokenstar is putting into your head-"

"Nothing has been put into my head!" Breezepelt growled, cutting off my words. "Brokenstar has only helped me to see what I'd been trying to ignore for so many moons!"

"Foxdung!" I growled back at him, not even realizing the risk I was taking of raising my voice at a cat like Breezepelt. But after all I had been through with Ashfur, I knew that my words would resonate with my father. "That's what he wants you to think. He's only been feeding you lies that he knew would get you to where he wanted you to be. Crowfeather, your own father, hating you, or that Lionblaze, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather should have never been born - all lies! Those are horrible, absolutely terrible thoughts that aren't true at all, yet you believe them to be as true and real as the sky, or the ground beneath our paws."

I then took yet another step closer to my father. "Deep down, you are aware of this, and are trying to ignore it, for whatever reason," I went on. "But you shouldn't. You don't have to let the Dark Forest's words influence you anymore."

Breezepelt then let out another hiss, shooting his blaring amber gaze back towards me. "Who says that they've-"

I didn't let Breezepelt finish. "I know, and you know that I know exactly what you've been put through. And I know that there's a way out," I meowed to him, my voice clear and confident, to my own surprise. "I know that it's scary, and defiance towards them feels like a weakness, but it's not. It's not at all."

I then felt a bit more encouraged when my father's gaze seemed to soften the smallest bit, and for some reason, it seemed to briefly flash with immense guilt as well. "There's more to you than this, Breezepelt. If you left, you'd see that - others would see it, too," I went on, locking my eyes on Breezepelt's once again. "Crowfeather is wrong - it's not too late."

With my words, Breezepelt actually hesitated for several moments, and his amber eyes revealed uncertainty for just a moment before washing over with anger and hostility once again. "Why should I listen to you?" he then scoffed. 

I took a deep breath, trying to push down regret and pain as I spoke my next words. "If you've given those Dark Forest cats moons worth of your time, I'd hope that you could give you own son at least a bit of acknowledgement."

I then watched, trying to stand tall as Breezepelt stared back at me. For many heartbeats, I couldn't read his expression to save my life. I might as well have been Jayfeather with how blind I was to his emotions. But I'm sure many cats would have said that about me a few moons ago...

But as I continued to look back at my father, I thought that I could begin to see the smallest glint of what looked like uncertainty and regret. And... is that... admiration? No way.

I honestly didn't get time to double-check, Breezepelt quickly breaking his gaze from me. He looked over his shoulder, staring directly at where my mother, Goldenshine, was currently helping Nightwing get to the medicine den.

He then shifted his gaze over to Crowfeather, who was standing in the same place he'd left his father in, speaking to Leafpool. 

Then, after many long moments, I nearly flinched as Breezepelt's gaze then flicked back to me. His mouth began to open, as if he wanted to say something. But he shut his jaws just as quickly as they'd dropped. He then let out a hiss, finally racing out of the camp and disappearing from sight. 

I stared off at the place my father had vanished for many heartbeats. I honestly couldn't quite grasp how I was feeling, or whether or not I felt I'd actually delivered with the words I'd spoken to him. Do I actually believe what I said to him? I wondered. Or... is Breezepelt so far gone, so influenced by cats like Brokenstar that there's no way he'd ever be able to save himself like I did?

I then let out a sigh as I finally broke my gaze from the camp entrance. There weren't many cats that believed that I could change, but I am. I'm attempting to, at least, I tried to reassure myself. I was telling Breezepelt the truth. One day he'll realize who his true enemy is.

I finally decided to push thoughts of Breezepelt away as I looked back towards the battle. Unfortunately, the camp was still abundant with spirit cats. While many of them were the Ancients that Lionblaze and Graystripe had brought in, I could still clearly see the ragged, wound-filled pelts of the Dark Forest cats spread around everywhere.

Since the battle had begun, I'd been sickened by how many cats I'd been able to recognize after my training in the Dark Forest, and having to fight against them and not with them felt strange and bizarre, but most certainly not wrong.

But among all of these cats that I unfortunately almost knew as well as many of my ThunderClan Clanmates, the one that I'd feared seeing the most was not present, and I hadn't seen him at all. 

I scanned my eyes over the battling cats, narrowing my eyes as I sought out the gray-speckled pelt of Ashfur. Honestly... I don't completely hate the idea of getting to sink my claws into that mangy fur again...

I then let out a huff, looking away as I quickly realized that he was still nowhere in sight. Strange... I mused. 

I then flicked my ears as I thought crossed my mind. I wonder what became of Lilypetal speaking with him in the Dark Forest? Did she discover anything about what he might be up to?

My eyes then began to narrow once again. She'd said that she needed to speak with him before the battle, I recalled. Why did she need to make sure to speak with him before the battle? Why couldn't we be involved? She wouldn't need to do that unless...

I then stood completely frozen yet again as I continued to recall what Lilypetal had alluded to in our meeting just a few days before. It had all seemed to snap. Oh my StarClan...

I then found myself frantically beginning to look around the ThunderClan camp, whipping my head in every single possible direction in search of Lilypetal. To my complete dismay, at first glance she was nowhere in sight. I was sure that I couldn't see her brown tabby-and-white pelt among the heap of battling cats. 

My heart began to race like it never had before. My panic drove me to pelt across camp, clawing and slashing at any Dark Forest cat that tried to get in my way. 

Once I was in a spot where I wasn't practically being smashed by living cats and spirits, I rose my head and gaped my mouth open. Catching any one scent had been difficult in the camp clearing, but closer to the dens, finding a single scent was luckily significantly easier for me.

And thank StarClan, I almost immediately caught wind of my kin's scent, and began to follow it.

I wasn't following it for very long, and I seemed to feel my heart drop when I quickly realized that Lilypetal's scent was leading out towards the dirtplace. The way out of camp that cats take who don't want to be seen...

While that was unsettling enough, what made it worse was that the tabby-and-white she-cat's scent wasn't as fresh as it could be. 

She'd been away from camp for a while now.

I was completely terrified for my kin at this point, and even though I couldn't be completely sure of what was happening, I still felt as if we were running out of time to stop it. I whipped myself around once again, wildly looking around in the hopes of finding a golden brown tabby pelt as soon as possible.

I managed to feel a bit of relief as I quickly noticed Goldenshine grappling with a small gray-and-white Dark Forest cat near the Highledge.

I pelted over to my mother as speedily as I could. "Goldenshine!" I called out to her. I then skidded to a halt. "Goldenshine!"

Goldenshine looked up from the she-cat she was fighting, who she currently had pinned down. "Swiftflight?"

She then stepped back, proceeding to let out a hiss and slash the small Dark Forest warrior away. She then turned to face me, her gray eyes wide and worried. "What's the matter?"

I knew that I couldn't beat around the bush - there was no time. "It's Lilypetal," I blurted out. "She's gone!"